Potato-digger.



R. ROHR.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1908.

Patented 0011.4, 1910.

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R. ROHR.

POTATO BIGGER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1a, 1908.

Patented 0013.4,1910.

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RICHARD ROHR, OF IBELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 EDWARD J. GERMAIN, OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

POTATO-BIGGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD RoHR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Belleville, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a full and correct specification.

My invention relates to machines for digging potatoes, and has for its object the provision of a machine having a digging device that is set with its digging end pointed to one side of the middle of the machine to permit the wheels on one side of the machine to travel between the row being dug and the undug row next to it, while the wheels on the other side travel on the dug row on the other side of the row being dug.

The construction and operation of my improved potato digger will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one side of the machine; Fig. 2, a front view of the digging and conveying device and showing a front end of the drum.

In the drawings similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in both of the views.

1 indicates the main axle of the machine, on which are journaled the driving-wheels 2 and 3, and having the longitudinal beams 4 secured thereto that are joined at their front ends by means of cross-beams 5, 6, and 7. The front axle 8 is swivelly secured to cross-beam 5 by means of a king pin 9 and has the wheels 10 journaled thereon.

11 indicates a segmental plate secured to the bolster 8 of axle 8 with a toothed gear 12 formed on its curved edge. The draftframe 13 is pivotally secured to the front of plate 11, to which is secured the draftpole 14.

17 indicates a beam secured to cross-beams 6 and 7 to which is secured the operators Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 13, 1908.

Patented Got. 4t, 1910.

Serial No. 438,338.

following the crookednesses of the rows of potatoes.

The supporting arms for the digger and conveyer consist of bars having straight portions 22, pivotally secured at their rear ends to the axle 1 and their front ends supported from shaft 23, journaled in beam 17, and one of the longitudinal beams 1, by means of crank-arms 2 1, secured to said shaft 23 and links 25 connecting said crankarms 2 1, and the supporting arms 22. The straight portions 22 have uprights 26 thereon to which are secured the side-bars 29 of the elevator-frame.

30 indicate bracebars pivotally secured to axle 1 and to the sides of supporting arms 22.

31 indicate grate-bars secured between the two side bars 29 by means of crossbars 32 that are spaced apart so that small particles of earth and small potatoes will sift therethrough when being conveyed thereon as hereinafter described.

33 indicates a shaft journalcd in supporting-arms 22, having a beveled pinion 34; keyed to a projecting end thereof that meshes with a corresponding beveled gearwheel 35, secured to driving-wheel 3.

The conveyer-frame and digger-blade 37 secured at its front end are pointed a little to one side of the median line of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2 so that the wheel 3 may travel between the row of potatoes being dug and the undug row next to it while the Wheel 2 travels on the dug row on the other side of the row being operated upon, this construction admitting of breadth between the wheels 2 and 3 for the machinery necessary to comprise an eflicient machine, without having the wheels travel on the rows yet to be dug.

38 indicates rollers journaled on arms 22, secured between the arms 22, at the upper and lower ends thereof, and 45 chains mounted on rollers 38 and having cross-bars 46 connecting the chains that, passing up wardly over the grate-bars 31, convey the excavated earth, together with the potatoes contained therein, over said grate-bars, so that the smaller particles of earth, pieces of roots, and smaller potatoes sift therethrough.

47 indicates a lever secured to the end of shaft 23 and having a pawl 48 thereon to engage the segmental rack e9 secured to the beam 17. The purpose of the said lever is to adjust the height of the digger-blade as desired, or to raise it out of operative position when the machine is not in operation.

50 indicates two L-shaped frames connected by a cross-bar 51, pivotally secured at their angular portions to the axle 1 and extending toward the rear of the machine.

52 indicates a lever fulcrumed on beam 17 and 53 a rod connecting lever 52 and crossbar 51 to admit of adjusting the position of the frames 50, 54 indicating a pawl on said lever 52, and a segmental rack secured to beam 17 to hold the lever in an adjusted position.

56 indicates a ring secured to the horizontal arms of the L-shaped frames 50 adjacent to the upright arms, and 57 another ring secured to said arms near the rear ends thereof, said rings 56 and 57 having bearing-rollers 5S and 59, respectively, journaled thereon with their axes perpendicular to the rings, while the ring 56 has other rollers journaled with their axes crosswise of the ring 56.

61 indicates a flanged ring mounted for rotation in ring 56, with the rollers 58 en gaging its outer surface, 62 a ring mounted in ring 57 with rollers 59 engaging its outer surface, 63 notched rods connecting said rings and secured thereto, and 6 1 hoops secured in the notches in said rods 63 and spaced apart to form a drum-shaped sieve, as shown. The front of ring 61 is formed with gear-teeth 65, and 66 indicates a stubshaft journaled in the upright arm of one of the frames 50, having a pinion 67 on one end to mesh with the gear-teeth 65, and the pinion 68 on its other end that meshes with the gear-wheel 69, secured to driving-wheel 2. By this construction it will be readily understood that the potatoes and whatever earth remains therewith, after being carried up by the elevator, hereinbefore described, are dumped into the drum-shaped sieve described, which is constantly rotated and where whatever large clods of earth remain are broken up and sifted to the ground, and whatever particles of earth adhering to the potatoes are separated therefrom and the potatoes pass outwardly through the rear of the drum.

70 indicates a bar pivotally secured at the rear of L-shaped frames 50, having curved prongs 71, forming a basket-like structure, secured thereto, and an operating-arm 72 secured to one end.

73 indicates a foot-lever fulcrumed on beam 17, and 7 a chain connecting operating-arm 72 and foot-lever 73. When the potatoes leave the drum, as above stated, they fall onto the prongs 71, which are held in a raised position by the pressure of the operators foot on lever 73. By releasing the pressure on lever 73 the potatoes are dumped in a pile and the prongs 71 may be immediately raised into their former position to receive another load of potatoes.

75 indicates rods secured to rings 56 and 57, and having curved spring-rods 76 secured thereto that engage hoops 6a to scrape mud and soft earth therefrom, so as to prevent them from becoming coated therewith and the usefulness of the machine or sieve impaired. The free ends of spring-rods 76 are secured to a rod 77 that rides on the outer surface of hoops 64L, thus admitting of the spring-rods 76 and rod 77 rising to permit the notched rods 63 to pass them when the drum is rotating.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A potato-digger having an inclined conveyer and diggenblade held at one side of the median line of the machine, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a potato-digger, an axle having the driving-'wheels journaled thereon, an elevator-frame pivotally mounted on said axle, a shaft journaled on said elevator-frame, a pinion secured to said shaft, a gear-wheel secured to one of the driving-wheels and meshing with said pinion, a digging-blade secured to the front end of the elevatorframe, and a conveyer geared to the shaft aforesaid, said frame being positioned so that the digging-blade is pointed at one side of the median line of the machine, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- RICHARD ROHR. Witnesses:

JAMES M. DILL, /VM. H. PIINGSTEN. 

